


The Lion and The Beast

by PrinnPrick



Series: Disney/Fairytale Classic AU [4]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Beauty and the Beast Fusion, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Awkward Romance, Beauty and the Beast Elements, Cid only mentioned, Cloud is the beast, Cloud's mother mentioned, Disney, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, Fairy Tale Elements, Fantasy, Forced Bonding, Laguna is a dramatic man, Laguna is best dad, M/M, Magic, Raine mentioned, Squall is Beauty, Strifehart, Toxic Behavior, dead mother bonding, heavy ff8 references, mild violence, to be added - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:00:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24905731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinnPrick/pseuds/PrinnPrick
Summary: [Beauty and the Beast written as Squall and Cloud (Version 1). For those who would prefer Cloud as Beauty that version will come later. Check the beginning notes for more details.]A prince who lost his mother much too young becomes selfish, angry, and wild. Unfortunately, he takes his attitude out on the wrong person and becomes cursed to be a beast for the rest of his life... unless he can learn to love again, and be loved by them--despite how terrifying he has become.A young man struggles with everyday life in a small town, until the day his father loses his way in a forest and ends up the prisoner of a beast.
Relationships: Axel/Roxas (Kingdom Hearts), Leon (Kingdom Hearts)/Squall Leonhart/Cloud Strife
Series: Disney/Fairytale Classic AU [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1338757
Comments: 8
Kudos: 19





	1. In The Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things:  
> 1\. There will be a version where Cloud is Beauty wherein the characters used here (save for Cid) will not be used in his version. Totally new characters and additional scenes to keep those who want to read both interested. Cid may even have a bigger role to play in Cloud's than he does here.  
> 2\. If you choose to wait for Cloud's be aware that his won't be as movie-centric as Squall's.  
> 3\. Seifer is Gaston, but I won't be killing him off in the end (for those Seifer fans worried about that).
> 
> I couldn't decide who should be Beauty v.s. Beast and I apparently hate myself, so... both. No clue when Cloud's will come out.

**Once upon a time in a far away land, a young prince lived in a shining castle.**

**Though he had everything, his golden life was marked by tragedy when his mother died much too soon.**

 **The boy was given access to riches and power he was unprepared for, and without a guide nor an outlet for his lingering pain he became cruel and spoiled.**

**But then, one winter's night an old beggar man came to the castle and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold. Repulsed by his haggard appearance, the prince sneered at the gift and turned the old man away.**

 **But the old man warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within. And when the prince dismissed him again, the old man revealed himself to be not a human, but a burly fairy biting on a needle.**

**The prince was much too prideful to apologize. The fairy made it clear it was far too late for apologies anyway, as the prince had no love in his heart.**

**As punishment, he transformed him into a hideous beast and placed a powerful spell on the castle and all those who lived there.**

**Ashamed of his monstrous form, the beast concealed himself inside his castle, with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world.**

 **The rose the fairy had offered was truly an enchanted rose which would bloom until the beast's twenty-first year. If he could learn to love another (and earn their love in return) by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time.**

**As the years passed, he fell into despair and lost all hope...**

**_For who could ever learn to love a beast?_ **

~*~*~*~*~*~

It was a beautiful day along the country-side. Squall covered a yawn and rubbed his face as he approached the town gates with a book and a basket in hand and a bag over his shoulder. Normally, his father would be the one to do the grocery shopping (he got along so much better with everyone, despite how the townspeople thought he was some kind of "kook"), but the old man was hard at work building... something. All Squall knew was that his father claimed he was too close to stop now, and as they were out of fresh bread and fruit Squall was forced to make the journey. (Though, it wasn't as if he didn't _sneak_ into town often for his own business--mainly that of procuring books.)

There was a perpetual frown upon his handsome, but scarred face that was hard enough to keep people from wanting to start a real conversation with him. Some would still toss a friendly "Good morning!" his way, and he would answer with a casual wave of his hand in greeting. It wasn't just his face that kept people at bay, however; as soon as Squall entered the town limits there were whispers. There were always whispers.

“Don't let him near the kids. He's a bad influence! Always getting into fights with Seifer!”

“How can such a quiet man be so corrupt? Fighting the town's guardian...”

“You can tell he's intelligent and tough, but his attitude is terrible... I wish Seifer would teach him another lesson, he's due.”

“He'd make such a good husband to my daughter if only he weren't so scary!"

Squall scowled to himself. Seifer was a large man with a worse attitude than Squall by leagues, but who was considered a town "hero" or "guardian". Seifer was into town traditions: hunting to excess (the bigger, the better), putting down whoever was the latest town target, declaring himself and his two cronies the Safety Committee... but the man didn't have a real job. He lived by hunting and hand-outs, and even the bar had given him his own "throne" after he donated enough buck heads. In truth, however, Seifer had also committed more than a dozen truly unselfish feats (such as saving a family from a fire, helping a little girl to find her lost dog, getting cats out of trees, and personally over-seeing cart and carriage traffic to prevent young ones or elderly from being run over), and often made sure the town didn't take bullying of whoever was being gossiped about that month too far. Honestly, Squall wouldn't have that much of a problem with him (besides his unending arrogance)... if only Seifer would leave him alone.

It didn't matter. First thing was first, and that was the bookstore; Ansem's Wise Words. Ansem Wise was one of the few people in town Squall could tolerate, and who was not only genuinely kind to Squall, but downright friendly. Ansem was polite and generous, but in particular he had taken a liking to the outcast family, and having even a small ally like the old bookshop keep was nice. The little bell rang above as Squall gently pushed the door open.

"Morning, Mr. Wise."

"Squall! Back already? I thought you hated coming to town, and yet I'm blessed with your presence for a second day in a row!" Ansem smiled and sounded so happy that though his words could have been taken as sarcastic, his tone was so joyful Squall had no choice but to believe he was serious. Squall even exchanged a small, awkward hug when Ansem practically swam to him with his arms wide open he was so fond of the man. "Already done with that book? It's only been a day!"

"I couldn't help it," Squall shrugged. "Any chance you have something new today?"

Ansem laughed and scratched at his beard. "Certainly not since yesterday! I'll need more time to get something interesting in, little lion." It was a nickname he had picked up from Squall's father, and only they and his two uncle were allowed to use it... Then again, his father, uncles, and Ansem were really all he had.

"That's fine," Squall said as he walked to peruse the shelves, but he already knew he wasn't bound to find anything. He had read every book in that store at least twice by now.

Ansem chuckled at that response, and suddenly pulled a book from behind the counter. He held it out as he approached the brunette with his ever present, fatherly smile. "This one."

"Hm?" Squall had been running his finger down the spines of a few books he might be willing to read again when he turned and regarded the novel Ansem held. "... You had a new book after all?"

"Very old, actually. Definitely not something I would normally sell or rent, and it isn't a genre you prefer." Ansem laughed and held it out a little closer to Squall. "I know fantasy stories aren't always your favorite, but the moment I found this little gem in my home I had a feeling it was meant for you."

"A book from your home? ... What's it about?"

"It's a story about a cursed prince living isolated in a caste in the form of a beast," Ansem replied dramatically. "Apparently it's based on a local legend."

Squall wasn't too sure as he stared at the old novel, but he took it anyway--mainly to be polite. Maybe he could stand a little more fantasy in his life, at least this one time?

"Have I ever suggested a bad book, Squall?" Ansem asked playfully. "I want you to keep this one. Seems like it was looking for you."

"Whatever," Squall said with a small huff that was almost a chuckle. _'Looking for me'? This old man is almost as kooky as my father._ He thought fondly. "Thank you. When will you get the next new stock in?"

"Maybe next week. Maybe next month! You know how reliable the city is on their deliveries," yet, Ansem didn't sound like he was really complaining. The old man was a peaceful one. 

Squall nodded and moved to head back out (ignoring how a bunch of peeping Toms had been staring through the window, and then they not-so-subtly tried to seem like they weren't). 

"Have a good day, little lion!" Ansem called over the ding of the bell as he exited.

Squall looked down at the cover of the book as he headed for the bakery first. It had a depiction of a glass-work rose on the cover, but no title. No author, either. 

_That's strange,_ Squall flipped the book open to see if there was anything to say where the book came from, but instead it dove right into the first chapter. Even though fantasy really wasn't one of his preferred, he was tempted to stop and take a little time to read it... but that upped the likelihood of running into the Safety Committee. He stuffed the book away into the bottom of his bag for now instead, just in time to hear the whispering again as he passed a group of older women beside a couple of middle aged men.

“He's so handsome, but so cold.”

“You see that scar? It's a reminder he's a trouble maker.”

“If only his attitude suited his looks..."

Squall sighed to himself. The scar they thought was from "trouble making" was actually a scar from when Seifer challenged him to a duel, and then cheated by throwing dirt in his eyes he had hidden in a pocket or sleeve to distract him before striking. Despite the fact Seifer had clearly cheated, when Squall struck back and scarred Seifer in return the townspeople were more furious Seifer had been hurt than Squall had been nearly blinded.

Speaking of him, Squall realized he should have known it was always an inevitability to run into Seifer every time he came to town. He managed to get his bread, and had even made it to the fruit seller before the blonde realized he was around. The brunette had caught sight of Seifer's blonde hair and smug smirk in his peripheral, but chose to ignore him like he did most things he didn't care for. 

"What a loser," He heard Seifer say, much louder than necessary. "A total low-life. He'll never marry with that ugly mug."

There was laughter (Raijin in particular guffawed in such a loud, raucous way it was almost hard to hear), but luckily for Squall as the girl filled his basket with the last of his needs (apples mainly) the crowd picked up. Squall was able to weave between the townspeople with expert grace and lost sight of Seifer and his cronies. However, Seifer was always stubborn--especially about harassing him. Squall had made it to the exit when three people decided to drop from the nearby roof right in front of him. The brunette tried to walk around them, as futile as he knew it was going to be--and he was right. Seifer, Raijin, and Fujin made sure to block his path whether he turned left or right until Squall sighed and stood there looking particularly bored. 

It was times like this that left Squall wondering if he had only done _something_ to make himself less of an outsider over the years, would life be a little easier? Or would he have been forced to be chummy with people he'd rather avoid forever until he was as blended into the tiny community as Seifer was? Would he be one of his cronies today, just to avoid the stress? Would that have been more stressful? Would he have virtually lost himself? Squall sighed and just held himself from shaking his head of the questions he asked in the recesses of his mind often (shaking his head would give Seifer some weird signal and only cause him to get more annoying), with the conclusion that faking his personality was more than just the average lie--and he would have been ten times more miserable in the long run.

Perhaps it would have been impossible to do or be anything than what he was today, though. Up until he was seventeen, three years ago, Squall was Seifer's "favorite". Their rivalry had begun when they were only five years old, and up until three years ago Squall had been unable to resist answering Seifer's constant taunts. It was almost an over-night change in attitude when Squall suddenly realized he needed to grow up and simply had better things to do with his life than constantly fight with Seifer.

Too bad Seifer clearly did not feel the same way.

While sporting the most egotistical smirk imaginable, Seifer said in a smooth tone of voice, "Listen, Squally... We're gettin' pretty old." Seifer began a slow, circling trek around Squall--like a shark. "Much too old for all this childish nonsense."

"Too childish, yeah?"

"ADULTS." Whereas Raijin would just repeat whatever Seifer said most of the time, Fujin would simply speak in such a way as to emphasize the most important parts of a conversation. She rarely said more than two words at a time, but she always made her point clear.

 _I very much doubt you mean that, but if you do congratulations on being the last horse past the finish line,_ Squall thought grumpily as he awaited what Seifer _actually_ wanted to say. 

"How about we let bygones be bygones, eh?" Seifer stopped to stand at Squall's side and lean in, almost as if to whisper in his ear, but his voice was normal. Squall tilted away and turned to look at him with a flat stare.

"A truce, yeah?" Raijin said as he bobbed his head, as if Seifer had spoken some ancient wisdom. Fujin jerked her head in agreement once.

After taking a step away, Squall shrugged. "Sure. You leave me alone, I'll leave you alone. Sounds good. I have to go now." Once again, Squall tried to walk away, but Seifer held out an arm to stop him. Squall sighed and tried his best not to roll his eyes in frustration. 

_Can't ever be that simple, can it?_ Squall thought as he turned to look at Seifer again.

"Now, now, what's the rush?" Seifer asked as if he couldn't believe Squall wouldn't be delighted by his company. "I think we should discuss some terms first."

"Terms?"

"TERMS." Fujin said in her strict, aggressive way. "LISTEN."

"Terms, yeah?" Raijin added, as if he needed to.

"For starters... I think you should apologize," Seifer's smirk sharpened. "After all the trouble you've caused me over the years."

 _I doubt that's it, but who cares?_ Squall shrugged, and instead of taking the bait as Seifer clearly hoped he would said, "Certainly. I'm sorry, Seifer." Squall tilted his head and frowned. "Am I free to leave now?"

Seifer snapped his arm down and glared dangerously at the brunette. His smirk had dropped into an aggravated frown. "What is _wrong_ with you? How could adulthood cause you to lose all your pride like that? Don't you remember how to be a _man_?"

"It's like you said, Seifer... Our constant fights have been childish. No one benefited from it." Squall shrugged again, though this time it wasn't as pronounced. He was about to speak once more, maybe have a real conversation for once--something that might lead to an acquaintanceship that wasn't so aggressive, when in the distance there was a loud "BOOM!" and smoke began to flood out into the sky. Squall's chest hitched in surprise and he pushed past Raijin (the tallest of the Safety Committee) to run back home.

*****

Seifer shook his head, then let it fall as he planted his hands on his hips. "Poor, poor bastard," he murmured, as if he had real sympathy toward Squall (he almost did, but didn't). "His father is a loon and he's grown up to be a coward, despite all my time tryin' to teach him to be tough."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, yeah?" Raijin said with real concern.

"CHANGED," Fujin agreed.

"Well, I meant it when I said I wanted a truce," Seifer stood straight and smoothed a hand over his loose bangs to force them back, but they only fell into his eyes once more. "Maybe we could do him a little favor, eh?"

"FAVOR?"

"What'd'ya mean, yeah?"

Seifer turned to his best friends and smiled crookedly at them. "I mean, we should do something nice... Maybe see if we can't get the guy a girlfriend."

"Who would want the town loser, yeah?"

"IMPOSSIBLE."

"Nothin' is impossible with me on the job." Seifer declared playfully. "In fact, I know of a few ladies who always bat their eyes at him every time he comes to town. Those young, little triplets?"

"Oh, yeeeaaaahhh... They do kind of fawn over him when he walks by, yeah?"

"YOUNG. NAIVE."

"Exactly. They're the into 'bad boys' type and too young to realize what good husband material would be." Seifer smirked as he waved a hand. "Let's see if we can't wrangle Squally a wife, eh?" But by the look on his face, it was obvious it was still more trouble he was hoping to cause rather than getting Squall hitched.

*****

Squall returned to his house over the hill in record time. He had nearly dropped everything in his rush, but he couldn't be bothered to slow down--not when his father might have blown his head off at last. He could see smoke billowing out of the cellar upon his approach.

"Father!" Squall called as he dropped the groceries along the stairs on his way, and then jerked the cellar doors open. He jumped inside while coughing and waving his hands in front of his face. "Where are you! Father!"

"I-I'm here!" Called back an older voice. Squall could just make out Laguna's sooty form as the air finally began to clear. He was covered head to toe in black, along with the entire room.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Squall called as he finally reached Laguna and began to beat the soot away from his clothes while Laguna grabbed a rag from a drawer to wipe his face off. They both coughed a few more times, Laguna harder than Squall.

"I'm fine," Laguna assured in his usual care-free way, despite having nearly been blown up seconds before. "Just a minor hiccup in the machine--nothing too bad!"

 _You are in_ way _too good of spirits right now,_ Squall thought bitterly as he pat off what he could of the smoke residue. "What were you trying to make this time, anyway?"

"A self-chopping axe!"

"... What?"

"Yes!" Laguna waved his hands excitedly toward a large, overly convoluted machine with an axe at its head. "A self-chopping axe! And it runs on _coal_! I think I figured out the issue at last!"

 _That looks less like an automated machine and more like a firey disaster waiting to happen._ Squall thought as he rubbed his forehead. 

"I recognize that look," Laguna said with his hands on his hips and his head jutted toward Squall. There was a frown on his face that wouldn't have been strange to see on a petulant child. "It'll work, trust me!" He smiled once more and grabbed a wrench. "I know exactly what to do now! Watch!"

Laguna laid back on a board he had concocted with wheels so he could slide underneath the machine (and in truth, Squall thought the board with wheels was more practical and easier to sell than whatever this thing would be) and apparently went about tightening something. He did that in three different spots before coming back out to wipe his hands. He nodded to his son before grinning with all his teeth. "Ready?"

"Nope."

"Here we go!" Laguna pressed something, and then jumped back. Squall held his arms over his head in case something went flying, but...

It made a noise, like a loud grumbling, and then proceeded to chop. Laguna jumped up and down excitedly and carefully placed a small log beneath the axe, which it cut clean in half. 

"I did it!" Laguna declared with a hop.

"You... really did. Congratulations."

"I did it!" Laguna declared again as he gently shook Squall by the shoulders. 

"You did."

Laguna hugged Squall, quite without permission, and then sighed in delight. "I can still attend the Inventor's Fair!"

"Are you sure it isn't too late to go now? It's in four days... It'll take three days just to get there, and it's in a new city you've never been to..." Squall said with concern, and he had every reason to feel that way. Laguna's sense of direction was questionable. "Are you at least taking Uncle Kiros and Uncle Ward with you?"

"Yes, yes, they're coming," Laguna huffed as he turned the machine back off. "In fact, whether I finished this or not they were coming tomorrow. (Oh, but don't tell them I almost didn't have it! Kiros would get mad if he came all the way over from the city for nearly nothing.) Anyway, enough of that. How was your trip to town? Didn't get into any fights with Seifer again, I hope?"

Squall wanted to complain, but he wasn't the type to vent like that. His father often had an easier time in town for being so friendly, but it wasn't as if it was the easiest thing for him either. Everyone in town thought Laguna only avoided the mad-house because he was harmless, though in truth Laguna was actually quite clever (while also being kind of oblivious at the same time. He was a weird man). 

"No fights," Squall started with as he dug into his bag and pulled out the book Ansem gave him. "Got a new book." Squall chose not to discuss what it was about, since Laguna would be a little too interested otherwise (he was a huge fan of fantasy, especially the potentially romantic kind). 

"I know you hate going into town, my lion," Laguna said kindly as he pat Squall's shoulder. He knew that, for whatever reason, if Squall chose not to discuss the topic of a book he probably shouldn't ask. Squall appreciated that his father could recognize times when he was uncomfortable, even with small things. "But with this new invention we may be able to make a whole new life for ourselves! If we can, we'll move to Galbadia where Kiros and Ward live--start from scratch!"

Squall wasn't so sure it would be that easy, but it was a nice thought. He did enjoy the idea of being someone unknown somewhere new... starting over.

"I love Winhill--it's your mother's birth place, after all," Laguna chuckled, "but I know we would both be happier in a big city. No one would look at me like I'm insane because inventors being 'nuts' is normal, and you'd be free to be less social. Wouldn't you like to walk the streets and have hardly a glance? Then again, you're so handsome I'm sure you'd get glances anyway." Laguna spoke so proudly.

Squall shrugged a little.

"Now," Laguna pat his arm one last time before he began to head out of the cellar. "Let's eat! I'm starved!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For my regulars, I have updates coming soon on about ten fics. I haven't forgotten them.
> 
> Additional fairy-tales I plan to write:  
> Sleeping Beauty  
> Snow White  
> The Swan Prince (LeonCloud version)  
> Jack and the Bean Stalk... with a twist
> 
> Maybes:  
> The Wild Swans  
> Frozen  
> Rapunzel  
> The Dancing Princesses
> 
> Feel free to toss suggestions to fairytales you'd like to see and I'll see if inspiration strikes~


	2. Lost in the Forest

"... I'm really not sure about this," Squall said with a concerned furrow of his brows as his father hooked up the machine (now under a tarp and tightly secured to a cart) to the back of Boko, the family chocobo. Boko was happy enough to help in whatever way he could, which meant he had to be told to stay still a lot. He was an eager, energetic bird; bigger than most his species, but despite his increased size Boko wasn't that tough (he jumped as easily as a tense cat even when he was feeling lazy. More than once Squall had been thrown off his back due to a squirrel). "You don't have to leave right this second, you know. And Uncle Kiros has a blue chocobo that isn't likely to toss you off and can cross rivers and streams... You'd be there faster with that."

Laguna smiled and waved a dismissive hand. "Not to worry, not to worry! Can't you have a little faith in your old man?"

Kiros and Ward were supposed to be there to escort Laguna and help him sell the contraption (Kiros was a far better salesperson, and Ward would help with set-up while Laguna often did advertising). Laguna was somehow excellent at drumming up a crowd, but he was terrible about keeping his nerves from going haywire and couldn't sell a thing. Every time a pretty woman came too close his bad knee would wobble until it finally buckled from underneath him. They were both necessary for Laguna's success, which was why Squall insisted Laguna wait until they arrived, but they were late for some reason and Laguna was as stubborn as he was impatient.

"Please just wait for Uncle Kiros and Uncle Ward," Squall tried again, though he knew it was useless once Laguna had a leg over the saddle of the bird. He shook his head in aggravation. "You know how often you get lost, and the fair is in a town you've never been to. Don't forget the time you got lost and it took a _month_ to find you..."

Laguna waved the same hand again, though this time it was gloved (for handling the ropes of his steed's bridle). "I'll be fine! That was seven years ago," never-mind that Squall had been thirteen and terrified beyond words, "and I've learned a thing or two since then." Laguna winked, but Squall was far from amused. The younger brunette's expression darkened as he recalled every incident the man got lost since that terrible time, which was more than could be counted. It was pure luck Laguna hadn't been lost as long as he had been that one time, and pure luck _only_. "Don't give me that look! I mean it, I'll be okay. I got a map this time!" Laguna pulled from his belt a rolled bit of parchment and waved it with confidence to his son. "Kiros marked it himself so I would know the roads and directions!"

Squall sighed. That helped... a little. 

"... Can't you just wait another hour...?"

"No can do, little lion!" Laguna put the map away into his belt once more and grinned wide as he took the reins. "One hour could be the difference between us and fame!"

"Life isn't so bad here you need to be reckless."

"None the less, I'm off!"

Laguna snapped the reins. Squall crossed his arms and watched with clear trepidation in his expression as his father began to trek down the dirt road with a whistle on his lips. Every time the man left by himself he _always_ got lost, even to places he had been before... More than that, he had occasionally gotten himself _and_ his uncles lost when allowed to lead the way until they wised up. Squall didn't see how this would be different. 

_I've always known the man was a fool, but he's my fool... Guardians watch over him._

oo00oo00oo

It was hours later and the sky began to grow dark above. The place where the fair was being held was a three day ride away (approximately), but between Winhill and Balamb there should have been a town or two. Despite having a map, Laguna hadn't bothered to pull it out for the majority of the trip. Most of the road was pretty straight-forward, so he figured it wouldn't be necessary. (Though there was that one turn, and the one before that...)

 _Maybe I should have waited for Kiros and Ward after all?_ He wondered as he pulled the map from his belt and unfurled it. He scratched his head as he pondered over it, but quickly realized the ink that Kiros had used had begun to run and the whole map was ruined. There was a slight drizzle earlier, and Laguna hadn't thought to protect the map with his cloak or something (it laid tossed behind him on the cart, and he hadn't felt like stopping to put it on). He shrugged to himself and stuffed the map away, though it was useless now. 

_They're gonna make fun of me for this later, but it's no big deal! I can figure this out!_ He thought confidently as he sat up straight on the saddle once more. _No need to fret!_

"Ah, see?" Laguna spoke aloud to the chocobo, who had begun to shuffle nervously. Boko didn't much like the dark, and there were suspicious noises growing in the distance. "There are streets signs ahead!" Laguna ignored the uncertain "wark" of his companion and pushed ahead.

However, as they grew closer it was clear that each sign was far too old and the letters too blurred at this point to make sense of any of them. He sighed and looked to the left first, which seemed like any normal road would; still catching the last rays of sunlight, birds chirping, green trees... And then he turned to the right, which had a thick fog, dead trees, and was eerily silent. Laguna smiled and turned them both toward the right path, but at first Boko refused to move. He tried to discretely turn them toward the left, but Laguna frowned and tugged until they were forced in the direction he wanted to go.

"It's like I always say, Boko," Laguna said as soothingly as he could, while remaining blissfully ignorant of the connotations presented by the right road, "'If you can't decide, go right! Or do what's right, whichever 'right' is in the right context.' That means we are going right!"

Boko "wark"-ed wobbly and lowered his head close to the ground. His head feathers flattened back as he stared with wide, scared eyes down the dirt path ahead even as he carefully began to trek forward into it. Laguna kept patting his neck and murmured soft words, but the affection didn't help. And no amount of wheedling, clicking, or encouraging squeezes from his heels could convince the large bird to move any faster than a slow, careful trot.

It was only an hour into the road when Boko suddenly jerked his head up and looked frantically from side-to-side. The fog had thickened until it was hard to see much, and there was a sudden... howling. Laguna tensed in his seat and pulled from the side his musket, which was already loaded. 

"Now, just stay calm," Laguna murmured to himself as he struggled to focus his eyes in the pea soup around them, "I'm an excellent shot... Got awards to prove it. I can take a few wolves..." Despite that, Laguna decided it would be better to head back and lose some time rather than deal with an entire pack, but once more his steed wouldn't move.

Even if Laguna could "take on a few wolves", Boko was not so confident. He took one, two steps backward until the cart made it difficult as his whole body tensed up. The feathers on his head and tail were rising... Then, there was another great howl and the chocobo jumped hard enough to force Laguna to drop the gun, or be thrown into the cart behind them. The yellow bird jerked forward into a panicked run. The howling was getting louder and grew in number; Boko careened forward through the trees until the cart broke free from behind them and fell side-ways onto the road, but Laguna didn't have time to mourn the very likely possibility his invention was now broken. He was doing his damnedest not to fall off, which turned out to be a wasted effort as Boko came screeching to a halt on the edge of a cliff. The bird had to scrape against the ground as he slid forward until they at last halted, but right behind them were three hungry, ready wolves. Boko cried out and jumped violently again--enough to send his rider flying almost right off the cliff. 

Laguna had enough time to sit up and rub his backside as he watched in horror the sight of Boko running back the way they came with three sets of jaws snapping at his flanks. 

"Boko!" Laguna called as he stood, but there was nothing. _No, I can't stay around here... Hopefully he'll be fine, but I need to get moving. I can't see a thing and I lost my weapon!_ Laguna thought frantically as he turned and searched the ground for signs of another path. He didn't have much time to look as he heard growls--and instead dashed off along the side of the cliff, which thankfully had a forgotten but still available road to follow. 

_Will there be anything left of me to let Squall know what happened?_ Laguna thought as he forced himself to run without hesitation. He considered climbing a tree, but each tree had branches far too high for him to grab hold of. The path eventually turned and not long after that stood a pair of tall, iron gates. _Please don't be locked, please don't be locked..._

They weren't. They were somewhat rusted and creaked obnoxiously loud in their disuse, but it didn't matter what condition they were in so long as they held. Laguna managed to force it open, and then close it shut with a great "clang!"--just in time. He was startled backward hard enough to fall as the wolves assaulted the gate. Laguna was still close enough that one managed to grab his boot with their teeth and force it off, but the bars on the gate weren't big enough for the shoe to be stolen. Laguna backed away quickly, but carefully. The wolves left after another few seconds of struggle with a final growl of frustration, which was right when it began to rain again. This time the downpour wasn't just a soft drizzle, but a downright flood from the sky. Laguna was drenched in seconds.

The brunette stood on shaky legs from the ground and stared at the gate a moment longer, just to make certain they weren't coming back. He considered grabbing his boot, but even without the wolves visibly present he didn't feel safe getting too close to that gate again... so once he felt he could, he turned away. Laguna smiled to himself, despite the ordeal, and breathed in the icy cold storm until his heart was no longer trying to beat out of his chest.

“All right, Laguna... You lost the chocobo, the cart, your gun, and you just barely escaped being eaten by a bunch of wild animals. Look on the bright side! You're not severely hurt (I think), you're very much alive, and Boko is a smart chocobo. I'm sure he got out okay.” Laguna breathed again (he had to believe for now Boko would be fine or he would have difficulty gathering his bearings). “Just look around, assess your situation... then make a plan. That's all you can do.”

Laguna had clamped his eyes shut and had turned his face toward the rain, but now he slowly opened his eyes and stared forward. His gaze widened and his jaw went slack.

It was a huge, dark-as-midnight, monstrous castle with a tower nearly high enough to touch the moon. Laguna could swear bats were swarming near its tip, and at first he wondered if it had been abandoned (there were gargoyles in the shapes of huge lizards falling apart) until he noted a few windows dotted in orange and yellow; including one near a dark-brown entrance, though in the rain he couldn't make out much more detail than that the door was brown and black. He held his head up high and approached.

 _I'm sure there's a stable here or something. They won't mind if I just crash with the chocobos, right? Why would they?_ Laguna nodded to himself as his stride picked up the more certain he became. _No one is cruel enough to toss a man literally to the wolves!_

The entrance turned out to be gigantic double doors made from thick lumber with a pair of snarling wolf heads as knockers.

 _Maybe I should just go to the stable and stay there without permission? But... that would be rude. What if I'm found? They might think I'm a thief!_ So decided, Laguna lifted up one of the knockers and tapped it just hard enough to make an echoing noise from within. He didn't want to be too intrusive.

The door opened with a creak. The moment the echos died out and Laguna's hand had left the handle, the door opened just enough to give him space to enter. _Maybe the hinge is loose or something?_ He thought when he saw no one immediately. _I wonder if they're all asleep?_

Upon first inspection of the foyer, which he dripped onto with a wince, the place was clean and tidy. Someone definitely lived there, at least enough to want the front to look presentable. Laguna loosed a loud sneeze before he could stop himself.

 _Ugh, I'm starting to feel whoozy,_ he thought as he lightly shook the rain from his sleeves and squeezed out his hair. The area by the door was already a mess, so he didn't see any reason to avoid drying himself off. _Maybe I could just sleep here?_

Laguna stiffened as he suddenly heard whispered voices.

"Looks like he got lost in the woods."

"Be quiet!" The command was a hiss, but Laguna couldn't tell where either male voice came from. "Maybe he'll go away..."

"Hello?" Laguna called out as he took another step forward. The door suddenly closed behind him with a loud thud that made him jump. "I-Is, um..." Laguna cleared his throat and turned away from the door to eye the hall. "Is someone there?"

Another harsh, low whisper he could just barely hear, "Not. A. Word. Not one word!"

"I got lost and was attacked by wolves... Can I sleep here for the night? I'll even sleep in the stable--I just need a safe place to lay down until morning..."

There was a sharp exclamation of pain (which alarmed Laguna for half a second) before from the shadows came a "tup-tup-tup" noise... and a golden candlestick no more than a foot-and-a-half tall came jumping forward. Laguna hit the door behind him with a gasp, but then the candlestick smiled. Behind the candle holder was an angel statue with a clock in it's belly, having just as much trouble moving.

"You didn't have to _burn_ me..." Complained the little angel clock as he shook out a hand.

"Shush," demanded the candlestick before he turned back to Laguna. "Hey there." He called genially. "You said you were lost, then?"

The angel crossed his arms and huffed.

"Wh-What... are you?" Laguna breathed as his muscles ever so slowly began to relax. Whatever they were, they didn't seem hostile, at least.

"My name is Axel," the candle said with a flourish of one stem. "This lovely clock beside me is Roxas."

"Charmed." Roxas replied flatly even as he turned pink from the compliment.

Axel was a three-armed candle-stick with a face etched into the middle candle; his stand was ornately detailed. Roxas was a forward standing angel statue wearing a sweeping robe, a clock in his middle, and with enough room for a little pendulum to hang behind a glass door where his legs would be. Roxas's arms were free to move about, but not the pair of wings on his back. Laguna took a few, cautious steps forward and knelt before the pair.

"How strange," Laguna said, but he sounded more curious (and rather delighted) than afraid. He lifted up Roxas first and turned him this way and that (ignoring the clock's complaints) to see if there was some sort of mechanism that made them speak and move, and if so whoever created such a thing was a genius. _I would definitely like to meet the man who made these!_

"Hey!" Roxas barked. "It's rude to just pick someone up. Didn't your parents teach you any manners?!"

At first, Axel snickered at Roxas's distress, until Laguna turned Roxas's wind too hard and then opened Roxas's little glass door and began to fiddle with the pendulum aside. Roxas snapped the door closed on Laguna's finger ("Out of there!") just as Axel hopped over.

"Release the clock, unless you want your backside well-done," Axel warned, just before he burned Laguna's bare foot. Laguna dropped Roxas as the brunette yelped.

The angel clock rubbed his side, despite the fact the fall had at least only been a foot or so rather than several feet. "My wings aren't real, you know..."

"Listen, buddy," Axel began as he stood in front of Roxas to glare down Laguna, "I was about invite you to stay, but if you're going to molest my friend here I'll have to demand you vacate the premises instead. Got it?"

"Oh, gosh, I'm really sorry!" Laguna said genuinely as he smiled regretfully. "I didn't meant to be rude, I was just curious. I was so surprised I didn't think--are you both _alive_? Is that offensive to ask?"

Axel nodded, but he seemed fairly placated by the apology and Laguna's general awkwardness. "Yes, we are alive."

"And we don't like being treated like objects, even though we are technically so for the time being," Roxas asserted with a snort through his nostrils. 

Laguna nodded and was about to apologize again when he suddenly turned his head in time to avoid sneezing on the pair. He managed to stick his face into his elbow instead. Axel turned slowly to Roxas with the most sympathetic frown, to which the clock rolled his eyes.

"No, Axel."

"But Rox--"

"No 'but Rox' nothing!"

"Roxas," Axel hopped over and put an arm around the clock to force him in close and pressed their cheeks together. He made the angel look at Laguna, who shivered. "Take a gander at him! He's soaked to the bone and already turning a bit green... He's going to get sick unless he warms up soon."

"He's going to be in much, _much_ worse trouble if the master finds him," Roxas replied, in a way that suggested he often had to remind Axel what would and would not fly with "the master". 

Axel made a noise that clearly dismissed Roxas's concerns as he let the clock go and hobbled over to Laguna again. "Come, this way! There's a fire in the room down the hall and a big, comfy chair for you to use."

"Wait! Wait wait wait! You're taking him to the master's _lounge_?!"

"He hardly uses it anymore since he's rarely ever on the first floor. It'll be fine!"

"No, absolutely not--" but despite waving his arms frantically in dispute, Laguna followed after Axel out of the foyer and down a hall. Laguna wondered if he should be concerned about this "master", but the clock did come off as the type to over-exaggerate an issue. That, or the candle was far too relaxed... He just hoped as they both lived there that Axel at least knew what he was doing and chose to keep quiet for now.

Roxas hopped along beside them, still frantic in his warnings, but eventually they made it to the lounge and the sight of a roaring fire and a waiting blanket stole the last of Laguna's misgivings. The brunette immediately flew to the chair and slung himself into its comfortable, plush seat. The fire had been going on long enough to warm the entire chair, and that along with the thick blanket immediately dispelled the cold that had soaked into his chilled skin.

"Though it's been years, the master requires that each of the places he likes or once liked to relax be ready for him on a moment's notice," Axel explained as he hopped onto the chair's arm. "That means you're in luck! Toasty, right?"

"Very! Thank you so much! You've already been so kind, even though I was... kind of an ass at the door."

Axel shrugged. "Not at all. Everyone gets a little muggy-brained when they're suddenly surprised the way you were, and you didn't think we were people so much as animated instruments."

Laguna nodded regretfully, and then offered a wide smile. "Well, thank you again! Is there anything I can do in return? How did you guys turn into a candle and a clock?"

Before Axel could answer, there was a sudden, excited barking. In came a golden footstool, who ran (wagging its tassels) over to Laguna to shove himself under the brunette's feet. Laguna laughed at the footstool's enthusiasm. A kind coat hanger appeared next with a towel, which it wrapped around Laguna's hair for him and began to rub away the rain in gentle massaging circles. Lastly, the door opened and closed, followed by the sound of clattering dishes as a teapot on a service cart appeared beside Laguna. 

"Hello!" Chirped the teapot charmingly. "My name is Aerith! Would you care for something warm to drink?"

"Absolutely!" Laguna leaned forward and loosed an arm from where he had tightly cocooned himself in the blanket. Aerith tipped her spout over a tiny cup with a mild chip on the side, which released a flowery smelling, pink tea. Laguna hummed happily as he lifted the cup to drink (which he did with a sigh of pelasure), only to nearly fling it away in surprise (he held back and only jumped a little instead) when the cup began to wiggle and laugh. He pulled the cup away to behold a tiny face.

"Momma, that tickles!" The cup giggled. Laguna set the cup back down, who jumped to turn and look at Laguna with a smile. It was obvious from the sound of his voice and the innocent way he grinned that he must have been quite young. "Heh heh, hi!"

"Why, hello there!" Laguna cooed sweetly. 

"My name is Sora!"

"Nice to meet you, Sora. I'm Laguna."

But as glee and continued comfort began to set in and grow, the fire suddenly went out. It had been snuffed as if it were merely a candle rather than a giant flame. Everyone in the room, but Laguna, began to shake. The coat-rack backed away with the damp towel in hand, the footstool ran to a corner to whimper, and Sora hid behind his mother. Roxas, who had stayed at the door (probably to glare in disapproval) could be heard muttering things like "Stranger? What stranger? No one here!" only to be interrupted by a terrible roar. Laguna's whole body froze and his eyes widened with shock at the sound. Axel beside him mimicked what might have been the signal to stay quiet, but was hard to imitate without fingers, before he hopped off the chair. 

"Master!" Axel said as casually, as cheerfully as he could muster. "What brings you here?"

Laguna could hear it this time. A dark, rough voice that murmured just one word: " _Stranger_..." The sound sent a chill down the brunette's spine that was worse than the cold from the storm.

"What? A stranger?'

"Do _not_ bullshit me, Axel. I can smell him..."

 _'Smell' me?_ Whoever, or whatever, it was was drawing closer. Laguna perked his ears as hard as he could and leaned just a little over without bypassing the chair to hear a little better. He could make out the footfalls of something... big. _What should I do? I'm not bad at hand-to-hand grappling, but it's been a while._

A low growl broke the tense silence in the air.

"Okay, you're right," Axel could be heard saying. The creature paused. "There is a man, but he was lost and wet and he was getting sick--"

Axel's flames, which could just be seen in the shadows, disappeared as another much louder, longer roar of clear rage left the thing. Laguna assumed he had loosed the sound right in Axel's face, hard enough to douse him. 

Aerith was trying to soothe Sora, which Laguna saw in the corner of his eye. He immediately felt that familiar guilt and regret, as no child should have to put up with such a terrifying environment. The teapot looked like she had some words she wanted to say (she seemed to be more aggravated than scared), but what could a teapot do against a thing that sounded bigger than a human?

It wasn't long before Laguna finally found out what the thing was that prowled the room. He closed his eyes, took several deep breaths to calm his heart, and moved as if to look past the chair to get a good idea of what he was up against when he came face-to-face with a snarling golden wolf. Or was it a wolf? Laguna jumped from the chair and immediately began to back away with an exclamation of surprise. The creature was some sort of amalgamation of golden and brown wolf, a buffalo, and a boar shaped into something like a giant, hairy man with claws and horns. The beast's pupils were narrowed and his teeth were bared.

Laguna looked to the fireplace for only a split second, but there wasn't a firepoker--and without his gun that meant he had no way to defend himself; hands were a bit useless against a monster twice your size with claws as big (and looking as sharp) as knives. The brunette gulped and slowly began to back away, but for every step he took the beast followed with his jowls vibrating in a low growl. 

"I-I'm really sorry!" That only seemed to make the thing angrier as the beast snarled. "I was lost! I didn't mean to encroach on your territory!" Laguna held his hands up on the defensive to show he meant no harm and attempted a smile, though it was flimsy from panic. The creature continued to stalk as if he couldn't hear him. The beast's eyes were wide, and the glass-blue color that seemed to over-take them as his pupils continued to shrink somehow made the creature appear psychotic. 

Just as Laguna was nearing the exit and contemplating bolting as fast as he could, the beast suddenly shrieked in a voice loud and shrill like a banshee, " _ **Stop staring at me!**_ "

"I'm not trying to--I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!"

"You've come here to mock me!" The beast screeched again before he lunged. Laguna tried to turn tail and flee, but he wasn't nearly fast enough--the beast caught him in a rough grip by the back of his collar and held him high enough from the floor that his toes barely touched. The creature began to drag a struggling Laguna away from the lounge. "No one is allowed to trespass here _and get away with it._ " 

The last thing Laguna saw was the new friends he made looking on in horror. But what could they do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe people should listen to Roxas more often instead of assuming he's just being a drama queen?


	3. Meanwhile, Back Home... / Dungeon Rescue

"You've _got_ to be kidding me." Kiros exclaimed when he was told Laguna had already left.

It was only an hour after Laguna hit the road when Kiros and Ward finally showed. One hour. Almost exactly. Apparently, it was traffic that had made them late; the city was harder than usual to get out of. Being as Galbadia was one of the more advanced metropolises, there were machines and carts everywhere; lots and lots of inventors from the city on their way to the fair, too. 

Kiros had rolled his eyes (a habit Squall had picked up, as his father didn't often roll his eyes at anything) when he was told Laguna had already left.

"Of course he did," Kiros shook his head with a sigh and clapped his hand to his forehead. "And he took _Boko_? No offense, lion, but that bird jumps if a breeze hits him."

"No offense taken, since it is true." Squall shrugged. "Boko is a _farming_ bird, not a riding bird."

Ward leaned in toward Kiros to mouth something into his ear.

Squall tilted his head curiously. Uncle Ward had apparently lost his voice after a terrible accident while serving the Galbadian guard; it caused him to retire much earlier than most. Since he couldn't do more than whisper a little, he would always use Kiros as his interpreter for things he couldn't convey with just his facial expressions. He only whispered to Kiros, maybe Laguna; no one else. Ward didn't want to intrude on people's personal space.

"Uncle Ward and I are sorry for causing you all this mess, lion," Kiros hardly ever used Squall's real name, unless it was for something more serious (like when Kiros used to babysit Squall and he'd get into trouble with something). "Ward says we need to get going if we are ever going to catch up to that idiot. He's probably already gotten himself lost twice over... I was hoping to stay and talk a little before we left, but I guess even if Laguna _were_ here he'd have just forced us on the road anyway."

Kiros pulled Squall into a tight hug, which the brunette returned. Ward followed suit, and even picked Squall up like he weighed nothing to swing him gently in the air (which he didn't enjoy as much as he had as a child, but he would never tell Ward to stop; he would never admit it, but he welcomed his uncle's affections).

Squall handed them both apples (in Galabadia, fruit wasn't as easy to come by as in Winhill) and slices of fresh bread he had warmed in the oven with a touch of butter and salt for the road. "You'll need the extra energy."

"I imagine. Thanks, lion--green apples are Ward's favorite."

"I know. That's why I grabbed one." Squall crossed his arms and sighed. "Be sure to smack him when you catch up."

"If he's even on the right road..." Kiros huffed.

Kiros and Ward turned to leave, and that was when all three men noticed a small entourage headed by a familiar blonde coming down the road from the village. Squall groaned to himself the moment he registered it as Seifer, Raijin, and Fujin, who normally never bothered with coming out to the outskirts of town. It was like an unwritten rule that neither invaded the other's space; Squall avoided the bar, Seifer's "clubhouse" he shared with his friends, and the hunting lodge--and Seifer, in turn, normally avoided the Loire farm.

"Say, isn't that the kid who tried to bite your ear off when you were four?"

"Yep."

"And has tried picking fights with you since then? And blamed you for that weird chicken fiasco? And for when he knocked the apple cart over?"

"Yep."

"... And gave you your scar after he pulled a cowardly, cheap trick on you?"

"That's him."

Kiros and Ward exchanged a look of concern before Kiros turned back to Squall.

"... One of us could stay." Kiros said it as a statement, not a question; he had already decided. Squall shook his head, though.

"No. Go. He hasn't done much in three years since I started ignoring him. He even mentioned the possibility of an official truce now that he's bored of me... I mean, I doubt it, but he's never come to the house before." Squall shrugged like it was no big deal. "Either he's coming to discuss truce terms, or more likely I'm going to lock my door and hope he goes away."

Kiros chuckled. "Good luck. Remember that thing your father invented is in the closet... I think he called it a Gunblade? It worked last time I checked--well, the blade did. The barrel I wouldn't trust. Use it if necessary since your dad took the gun."

"Yes, mom."

Kiros swat Squall on the head before he followed after Ward back to their own ride; a beautiful, blue chocobo named "Choco" (the breeders had named him) who loved to give playful nips and head rubs. He was a tough, sturdy bird who could cross rivers, streams, waterfalls, and even walk a good distance into the ocean. They had even brought a bigger, higher, sturdier cart with a carriage bench and straps to carry Laguna's self-cutting ax with. Squall, again, damned his father's impatience.

"..." Kiros paused, though, once he had Choco's reins and turned back to Squall from atop the front of the carriage. He had a look on his face of uncertainty; the kind of look he usually reserved for Laguna's madness. "... We could--"

Squall waved a hand. "Go. I can handle Seifer. I mean it. I'd rather you catch up with my father."

Ward walked back and leaned in instead of jumping on the bench beside Kiros. He had never spoken directly to Squall like this; his voice was a harsh, struggling rasp that sounded painful though he knew the injury had long since healed (as much as it could, anyway) when he whispered, "We... could... head... them... off... at least...?"

Squall smiled softly and shook his head. "Thanks, Uncle Ward, but really... My dad needs your help more than I do."

Ward sighed and nodded, joined Kiros (who still looked like he wanted to argue) on the bench, and a second later they were making their way down the road along the opposite direction from Winhill. Squall shook his head and watched them take their time with plenty of look-backs to make sure nothing happened in the short time they could.

Squall waved good bye one more time before he went back into the house, locked the door as he promised, and sat on the living room chair; he had no intention of giving Seifer the time of day, but he also knew that might not work. Seifer was the type who might break a window to get in, and no one would bat an eye. Not since it was the kook and the trouble maker's house.

 _Whatever he's coming for, though... Can't be good,_ Squall thought with a grimace. _I still have chores to do, too. What a waste of time..._

Squall eyed the closet by the door where the gunblade was. His father had only _partially_ invented it... The original idea was actually Squall's own. Barreled guns were becoming a new, trendy thing in the cities and the style fascinated Squall (more than he ever thought a trinket or weapon of any kind would), and he had wondered what else a barrel could be attached to. He had even drawn a few blueprints of different things, and eventually fell for the idea of an exploding sword. It was all meant to be just silliness (thoughts, fun... nothing more) when his father saw his blueprints for a blade that was half-gun and went wild with the idea. He never planned to sell it to anyone, but he had wanted to make it for Squall since it was Squall's "first inventive idea" and he was certain he could manage it.

Eventually, he technically did... but if one weren't wearing gloves and hadn't any protection for their arms they were likely to burn off skin upon use of the trigger. The sword itself would turn a little black, but came out fine even after several test runs. It was impressive, despite the flaws. Laguna had even carved a lion emblem into the blade just for Squall.

Squall shook his head and turned away. Thinking about his father right now caused his anxiety to shoot up, and the last thing he needed was to have shaky fingers when dealing with Seifer.

It seemed to take forever, but at last the dreaded knock came to the door. Three, solid bangs that somehow sounded as arrogant as Seifer's voice usually did. Squall did not move from his chair and instead stared at the door (which was more attention than he wanted to give the blonde already). Another three followed by a hard rap that sounded like Seifer punched the door instead of knocked.

"I know you're in there, Squally," Seifer called evenly, though with an undertone of teasing. "I saw you not long ago. Come on out so we can chat."

Squall didn't say a word and instead leaned back in his chair and frowned.

"I've got all day, Squall." Seifer's smirk was clear in the way he chuckled afterward.

Squall loosed a long, annoyed sigh before he dragged himself up from the chair and took his time back to the door. Instead of opening up, though, he called, "What can I help you with?"

"Squally, you gotta open the door," Seifer said, matter-of-factly. "Not really a truce if you can't be polite, right?"

"The truce, yeah?"

"Shut up, Rai."

"FACE TO FACE." Came Fujin next. It was one more word than he was used to hearing from her.

"Listen, Squall," Seifer began reasonably, "you said you wanted to end things. 'You leave me alone, I'll leave you alone', right? You want that, then we have a few things to discuss. You're ignoring my good intentions, here!"

Squall inhaled so hard and for so long to stop the stress from building it nearly hurt, and when he let it go again he felt emptied--drained. It was like Seifer was an energy leech. "Fine."

Seifer immediately pushed through and let himself in like he owned the place the moment the door was cracked open. Squall hadn't wanted the man _inside_ his home, but it was too late. He shut the door before the other two could follow, but oddly enough they hadn't even attempted. Fujin had had her arms crossed at the bottom of the stairs with her usual stern gaze and Raijin had his fists on his hips with his back to the door while he inspected the road or the forest.

"Not to worry. They aren't going to come in; it's just us. We need to have a man-to-man discussion."

 _That doesn't sound good..._ Squall thought with a grimace as he followed behind Seifer further into his home.

"As a peace offering," Seifer turned on his heel and pointed at Squall as he spoke, "I thought I would do you a favor."

 _Oh no..._ "... A favor?"

"As a show of good faith toward our new... acquaintanceship, I thought I'd help you out a little."

"What kind of help?"

Seifer lowered his hand with a sniff. "Despite your bad reputation," he smirked a little (it was _his_ fault Squall had a "reputation" at all), "you have quite a little fanclub. A trio of beautiful girls, to be precise; naive little things who want your eyes, hair, muscles, and skin more than they care about your history. In fact, being the 'bad boy' around town has helped you out in their eyes." He chuckled. "At least you have _something_ going for you, eh? And they're rich--no need to worry."

Squall discretely ground his teeth. He relaxed his jaw carefully with a slow, steady breath after a few seconds of silence. "That's... Thank you. Really. But I'm not interested in marriage as of now."

Seifer shrugged. "Whatever you prefer, _friend_ , but you need to marry before you (or they) get too old. You because your looks may not last, and them because when they're old enough they'll know what a mistake it would be to marry you." Seifer held his arms out and shrugged. "What do you plan to do anyway? Inherit this shack and keep making 'inventions' like your old man?"

Squall's eye twitched, but he kept himself together well enough when he said, "again, thank you. I understand where you're coming from, but I'm really not interested. Besides, marrying because they're 'too young to know better' sounds like a pretty big lie to me... If I'm such a loser, it wouldn't be fair to tether a young lady of some standing to a lowly farmer and inventor's boy."

Squall hoped the self-deprecating commentary would sway Seifer into giving up. Stroke his ego a little so he would leave without hard feelings (usually when Seifer was rejected or turned down he'd get nasty, but he was acting... oddly calm). 

Seifer shrugged again and began to walk carefully toward the door with a small, smug _sneer_. Seifer never _sneered_ unless he was up to something nasty. That look instantly put Squall at alarm. "Suit yourself." 

Seifer let himself out, waved goodbye (as if they really were friends), and gently closed the door behind him. Squall walked to the window and pushed the curtain aside just far enough to watch as the Safety Committee walked down the road back to town... about half-way through they began to laugh riotously.

 _Well, I can tell life just got harder,_ Squall rumbled to himself. _Shit... How much you want to bet when he said 'they're rich' he meant they were the daughters of a politician or something..._

Squall could hear it now; Seifer telling the town and those girls how Squall thought himself too good for them or something. 

_Maybe I should have asked for details on them? No, that would have given him the wrong message... I'm really not interested. I'm not even sure if I like women!_

Squall jerked the curtain into place once the trio were out of sight and jerked the door back open. He stomped down the stairs and around to the back of the house while silently fuming.

_This new 'truce' isn't exactly working out._

The chickens and the cows needed to be fed, but he was too angry to do it properly. Instead, he took the bucket of feed for the clucking birds and tossed it all carelessly to the ground in their pen. After, he practically threw hay for the cows over the fence without even bothering to untie the bundle (the cows would usually start eating before he could anyway, and it wasn't as if the hay was so tight they couldn't eat with it tied). 

"I'm _fine_ alone," Squall grumbled as he turned the bucket upside-down, slammed it to the ground, and sat on it with a grunt. He watched the chickens go crazy over the feed. "Everyone just needs to stop _butting in_ on my life... It's no one's business but me and my father's what I do with my life, and even he has restrictions."

Squall jerked himself up, feeling restless, and walked past the stable where Boko usually stayed. He walked past the little pasture for the pair of cows they owned to roam, past the unimpressive crop fields, and eventually made his way toward a cliff-side. It wasn't far from the road and the house was well in sight, and the cliff itself wasn't terribly big (if one fell it might hurt, but it wasn't even high enough to break bones). In the distance could be seen a river and endless woods, which was why he liked this spot so much. There was tall grass for him to half-hide in, wild flowers that could handle the drop in temperature due to the coming winter to settle his sense of frustration, and he was close enough to home in case of an emergency; it was quiet and peaceful. Boko being such an anxious bird Squall would bring him out to this field to sit and relax between chores, since even the equipment sometimes scared him (the bird wanted to help so bad, but the sight of a plow made him nervous). 

Squall flopped backwards and made a human-sized dent in the grass. It was so thick and tall he didn't even need to be careful; his fall was well-cushioned. He closed his eyes as a breeze fluttered past with the smell of dying autumn.

 _If I ever did marry,_ Squall thought as he closed his eyes and slowly decompressed, _I wouldn't marry_ just _to marry..._ He opened his eyes to the cloudy skies above. Winter was close, which was another reason Squall was worried about his father. It was already getting cold, and so fast. _I want someone who wants to understand me... Someone I want to be around. I want this on my terms, and I want it to be fair to them, too. I want an equal partnership... Is asking to marry someone I love who genuinely loves me back really that tall an order?_

Squall didn't know how much time he spent there, but it was a while. It was dark before he even considered moving again. He stood up with a groan as his joints creaked from staying still too long and lazily made his way back to the house (glad it was a cloudy day, else he'd have sunburns on his cheeks). He was nearly to the front of the stairs when he heard a sudden, terrified "WARK!" 

_I know that wark..._ Squall jerked his head in the direction of the road. _It's Boko!_

Squall jogged in the direction of the sound as it grew more frantic. It was definitely Boko, who looked worse for wear, but he seemed uninjured... Yet his saddle was crooked, there was no cart, and... no Laguna. 

Squall met with Boko and instantly took the giant bird by the beak to stroke as he frantically asked, "Boko! Where is my father?" _Ugh, as if he can answer!_ Squall grabbed the bird's reins when he tried to rear back and cry again in order to keep him steady. The poor chocobo's eyes were wide with fear and his feathers were dropping at an alarming rate. "Boko, calm down! Boko! 

Boko seemed to finally understand he was home; he was with someone he recognized. He still whimpered, but immediately pressed his head to hide against Squall's chest. Squall stroked his neck feathers and scratched his favorite spot behind the bird's cheeks until at last the giant bird stopped crying.

"Boko," Squall said gently as he turned the bird's eyes up to meet his. "I need to know... where dad is. I don't know if you can understand me, being an animal and all, but I need you to take me there!"

oo00oo00oo

 _This may be crazy... No, it is crazy._ Squall shook his head and focused on the road. He had gone back home just long enough to grab his traveling cloak, his bag, and to let Boko have some water. His brain had been too fried with panic to recall much logic, so beyond that he didn't consider grabbing anything else. He hadn't even considered checking what was _in_ the bag. _But... I have to try something._

Squall had Boko doing long runs in order to save time. They came to two possible turns along the way, but each only led to peaceful towns. Boko didn't seem bothered by either trail, either, so he kept going straight. The closer they got to whatever spot Boko had left Laguna, the more ragged with anxiety and exhaustion he became. Squall apologized over and over, but didn't let the poor thing slow down. He knew it would take a _lot_ to gain Boko's trust again, and he planned to start by spoiling the bird as much as possible as soon as they got home (preferably with his father in tow), but for now they couldn't stop. It was well into the night (technically morning) by the time they came across the same fork Laguna had crossed.

Even in the depths of night/early morning Squall could see which road was the better, safer choice: the left had plenty of moonlight to see and looked almost charming. It had a lot of evergreen trees, so it looked fresh and inviting. The right was filled with trees long since ravaged by the coming winter, had little to no light, and practically screamed "dread". Squall stared at the road to the right flatly and just _knew_ which one Laguna took, despite the implications.

"Hm and his stupid always go right rule..." Squall grumbled under his breath. Boko tried not to, but Squall was always better at controlling Boko than his father; he forced the bird down the right trail.

Not far in and Squall knew they were close (though hopefully not to a body). Laguna's musket, bent, was on the ground. Squall's heart-rate picked up until it was nearly painful as he hopped off Boko to pick up the broken gun (he kept a firm hand on the reins). Despite it being useless now, he strapped it to his belt anyway and immediately hopped back onto Boko. This time, they moved much more slowly as Squall took a long, careful look around. Shortly after the discovery of the musket... the crashed cart came into view. There wasn't a fog like there had been earlier and Squall was able to recognize it from a distance. He forced Boko to run to the cart, which was turned over... Laguna's "New Life" invention was on its side and in desperate need of repair now.

 _I don't mind my life,_ Squall thought as they continued past when there was no sign of Laguna. _I have a father who loves me, a good life... I don't care about anything else. We don't need to move or start over--you just need to be okay..._

Terror gripped at him until he felt like he was suffocating, but he couldn't stop. His lungs felt like they were closing and for a second he could swear he was drowning. Boko walked forward slowly (the sounds of wolves long gone) until they made it to the cliff-side. Boko stopped there without prompting (Squall was too busy gripping his chest). The brunette let them stop and closed his eyes. He hadn't felt this sick, this close to what felt like sudden death since he was thirteen. He couldn't even consider the cliff yet; he needed to calm down first.

 _... What did Kiros have me do that time? Focus on a light... in the darkness..._ Squall tried his best to breathe in slow and deep through his nose, and then release through his mouth. It was hard to focus. _... Light in the darkness... Find it._

Squall could see a candle in his mind's eye. He focused on the twitching flames and breathed for a long, long time until his chest only burned rather than felt as if it were collapsing. He blinked and gathered his bearings again while continuing his breathing. _Okay... Did he... Did he fall off the cliff?_ Squall eyed the edge of the cliff and noted claw marks, most likely from Boko. No skid marks... if he did fall--

 _No. Wait... There's a trail..._ Without the fog, the trail off to the side was visible. In the distance he could just make out a castle, a blackened castle... If not for the moon being so full and floating directly over the spires he wouldn't have been able to see it. He only realized it couldn't be trees due to it's height, and then could just barely make out the shapes of the towers in the distance. _Maybe... Maybe he went... there..._ It was hard to even think. _Light in the darkness... Breathe. I've got to see..._

oo00oo00oo

It didn't take as long as Squall had expected it to when they finally reached the front gates, and immediately Squall jumped off Boko with a gasp. He forced his way between the gates and threw himself to the ground where a single boot laid. Boko was still behind him, and trotted in a little closer--cautiously. He warked curiously as Squall stood while examining the boot.

"This is his... he was here," Squall nearly collapsed with relief, but just as quickly remembered a boot being left behind on its own like this probably wasn't a good sign. 

Either way, he knew it was Laguna's because (besides Laguna always favoring the same pair of boots) Laguna had a tendency to mark their things for fun with their preferred symbols. For Squall, he had lions; for Laguna, he preferred a particular circle within a circle with a square in the middle pattern. 

Squall was suddenly thankful for Laguna's weird quirks, otherwise he couldn't have been so sure. He gripped the footwear tight in his left hand and approached the large, black and brown front door. They looked thick and heavy, and were adorned with iron studs. On the front were two wolf heads with knockers as big as Squall's hands hanging from their mouths. Boko behind him made a sound of worry, but Squall ignored him for now (silently reminding himself he was going to have to let the poor bird gorge on extra snacks for a long time to come--he more than earned it) and lifted a hand to knock...

Only for the door to open on its own without prompting.

*****

"What are we going to do?"

"I don't know, but we'll think of something!"

"Just _had_ to invite him in, and now he's in the dungeon..."

"I'm not heartless, Rox! You saw him, too. How was it so easy for you to turn him away?"

"Because of the master! We know what he's like!" Roxas sighed and leaned into Axel's side as he rubbed his forehead. "... We should have taken him to the stables. Or at least to one of our old rooms..."

Axel put an arm around the angelic clock. "... The master never comes down from the West Wing."

"I know, but his sense of smell is incredible."

"I had hoped it'd be fine..."

"Honestly? Same. Poor man was sneezing and all..."

"There, see? I knew you weren't that cold."

"Axel!" Roxas snapped as he jerked up to look at the candle stick. "That doesn't mean what you did was kind _or_ smart! Openly inviting him into the _study_ , of all places, and having him sit _in the master's chair_?!"

"I thought I was being kind! The stables are no place for people to sleep, even if he wasn't sick! And whether it was the lounge or our old rooms, the master clearly would have found him."

*****

"Momma! Momma!" Sora cried with distress as he hopped his way into the kitchens.

"Sora?" Aerith had a small dish tub full of hot water and already sudsy from soap beside her. "What's wrong, my darling? Did you fall again?"

"No, momma!" Sora came to an abrupt halt that almost had him reeling right into her and cried, "I saw a man! Another man!"

"Another man?" Aerith gasped. 

"Yes, momma! A-And he looked kind of like Laguna!" Sora's lip trembled when he thought of the man in the dungeons. He seemed so nice, too... 

Aerith stared at Sora in alarm, just before she shook her head. "Even more reason to put you to bed, then."

"But momma--!"

"No, Sora!" Aerith said kindly, but firmly. She tossed him into the little tub, and when he came out (spitting water) she added, "I will _not_ have you present should the master go off like that again. I need to get you to bed so I might help stop another incident..."

"... Is he gonna be okay, momma?" Sora asked with fear widening his already large, blue eyes.

"I'll do my best, my darling... Try not to think of it. Just wash yourself, all right?" Aerith kissed his forehead. "I'll trust you to stay in bed. Promise me you will?"

"Yes, momma..." Sora began to wiggle about and clean as fast as he could. "Will Laguna be okay? The man looked a lot younger... It might be his son, like me!"

"Sora, wash! And hurry!"

*****

"This is why we can't afford to be nice to people, Axel!" Roxas huffed. "They're just going to end up running for their lives, or worse--in the dungeon!'

"We can at least _try_."

"No, we can't!" Roxas grunted with frustration. "You are so... _So_ irresponsible--!"

"Hello?"

Both the clock and the candle froze in place. That was a voice they hadn't heard before.

"Oh no," Roxas immediately lamented, just a moment before whoever it was happened by their door. Axel's flames were doused for now (they preferred to keep their arguing in the dark; it felt calmer, somehow) so the only light came from a torch held in the stranger's hand. Roxas groaned, just as Axel grinned wide with excitement.

"Roxas!"

"I see him..."

"No, look at him!" And Axel went to give chase. Roxas followed with a whine.

"Not again..."

"No, Roxas, _look_!" Axel was whispering this time and even slowed enough to not lose sight of the new man while he also allowed Roxas to catch up. "He's similar to Laguna! I think that may be his brother, or a son!"

The man had long legs, a trim waist, and the same brown hair though much shorter. Upon his face was a scar, though even that didn't hinder how handsome the youth was. The torch Roxas recognized as one usually hanging by the front door, though how the man lit it was another story.

"Then even more reason not to interfere!" Roxas hissed.

"He can help us save Laguna."

"Or we can accidentally help him into the dungeons beside him!"

"Hello?" The young brunette called again. 

"Roxas," Axel argued back as they grew closer, and did his best to keep his voice low enough not to be heard this time. "It's more than that--he looks like the master's age! Maybe a year or two older..."

"So?"

"So, what if he's the one who could break the spell?"

"What?!"

"The fairy never said it had to be a woman!"

"That's not the point here--!" Roxas began with a roll of his eyes when he was interrupted by the young man himself this time.

"Laguna? Dad!"

"See, it _is_ his son!" Axel began to hop forward frantically. "Come on! Let's lead him to Laguna! Even if he isn't the one, the least we can do is get them out of here!"

Roxas made a grumpy noise of displeasure, but didn't argue this time. Together, they managed to scurry around the young man (who looked about frantically for the source of the noises they accidentally made) and moved to open a door just ahead.

*****

Squall nearly jumped when a door to his right suddenly opened, but the voices he could barely hear seemed to disappear down that newly introduced corridor. Squall stared at it warily a moment, just until he heard a faint, "Come on! He's this way!"

There was nothing for it. Squall squared his shoulders and moved to follow whoever it was ahead. Door after door opened, and eventually he was at the foot of a spiraling, stone staircase leading up into what he assumed was one of the towers. There were torches lit this time all the way up, so Squall set the torch he had borrowed from the front onto an empty perch before carefully making his way upward. There were windows along the way that added moonlight, so even without the flames leading the way he could easily see what was ahead. 

"Hello?" Squall called softly. "Who are you? Why won't you come out?"

There was an oddly placed candelabra sitting in an alcove near what he guessed was the top. It was one thing to leave torches burning, but a candelabra? Squall stared at it curiously and noted it only had three candles, and behind it stood... an angel clock? It was a weird combination, but he just shook his head; judging the decor wasn't his goal here, but he did wonder if that meant someone was ahead of him, after all.

"Hello?" Squall asked as he finally came to a room with what appeared to be jail cells; three of them, with only a few tiny windows near the ceiling providing moonlight. Another torch was lit near the furthest cell, which was where he saw an arm waving between the bars--just before he heard, "Squall? Is that you?"

"Dad!" Squall called as he rushed forward and dropped to his knees. Laguna was sitting on the ground, and the skin around his eyes appeared green. His face was pale, and the moment Squall moved to hug him through the bars (so relieved he could feel tears pricking at his eyes, though he kept them at bay) Laguna paused to cough roughly into his hand. "Dad, how did you get here? You're sick... What happened?"

"It doesn't matter!" Laguna coughed again, and it sounded so hoarse. "You have to leave! Get out of here--now!"

"Who did this to you?" Squall ignored him as he stood and began to look for a set of keys, but if there were keys they weren't nearby. " _Why_?"

"No time, lion!" Laguna pulled at Squall's pant leg and tried to direct him to the door, though the effort was weak. "No time! Just _go_!"

"Why are you--" Squall had grown annoyed (didn't his father want out? He would die here!), but perhaps he should have taken Laguna's warnings to heart. A clawed hand clamped down on his shoulder and had forcibly thrown him from beside the bars that held Laguna and to the other side of the dungeon across the floor.

"Leave him alone!" Laguna cried/gasped/coughed with one arm held toward Squall, as if he could shield him that way. 

Squall winced, but otherwise hadn't made a noise. He stood up carefully and glared at... the largest shadow of a living creature he had ever seen. Whoever had tossed him like a ragdoll was hard to make out, as he stuck to the edges of the jail where the moonlight couldn't reach. He could dimly make out a figure and glowing, blue eyes. He edged his way along the wall back toward his father, even as the thing growled menacingly.

"Who are you?" Squall demanded firmly as he kept unblinking eye contact and a firm frown. He wanted to make it clear he wasn't afraid, but also felt wary of sudden movement. Was that a glint of teeth? What was this thing?

Squall managed to make it back to Laguna uneventfully; his father had stood and grabbed at his sleeve, perhaps to keep him from doing anything stupid--or as an anchor. 

"Well? Who's there?"

"... The master of this castle," came a low, dangerous growl. The creature breathed heavily and sniffed at the air like something inhuman, but as he had spoken he must be human... right?

Squall chose a softer approach; he lowered the volume of his voice, and though his expression didn't change much he said softly, "I'm just here to take my father home... We can leave you alone--"

" _No_ ," and as he spoke Squall could swear he heard what sounded like a snapping of teeth, like an enraged dog might do. "He stays."

"He's sick!"

"Then he shouldn't have trespassed!"

"It wasn't exactly on purpose--!" Laguna tossed back.

"And _neither_ should have his son!"

"Look," began Squall calmly, "I don't know what happened, but I do know my father. He's not the brightest man in the world--"

"Hey!"

"Not now, dad!" Squall snapped back toward the cell. "I guarantee he meant no harm, he's just an idiot--"

" _Hey!_ "

" _Not now_ , dad!"

"It doesn't matter what he _meant_ to do, only that he _did_." The thing turned as if to leave. "He stays... Be grateful I don't toss you in with him."

"Wait a minute!" Squall jerked away from Laguna and ran after the creature, but halted mid-moonlight as the thing turned around to snarl.

The beast paused in his tracks and stared at Squall now that he could see the brunette properly. His glow-in-the-dark eyes even softened.

 _... I have been told I'm attractive... Maybe I can use that here,_ Squall thought as he stood straight and held his head up high. "There must be some way we can compromise."

"... Perhaps. What did you have in mind?"

"Absolutely not! Just _go_ , Squall!"

Squall ignored his father as he clenched his fists at his sides and added, "me. Switch us. Take me instead."

" **No**!"

There was a soft rumbling and those eyes couldn't be anything more than interested. It might work.

"I'm young, healthy... You can keep me trapped in the cell and use me as a servant or whatever--or let me starve here. I won't complain."

"Absolutely not!" Laguna argued loudly as he banged his fists against the bars. "If one of us has to die--"

" _Silence_!" The creature demanded. Squall just barely kept from jumping. Whoever (or whatever) it was turned to fully face Squall and began to walk forward, on heavy steps that didn't sound anything like boots or slippers or bare human feet... He was clearly considering Squall.

*****

 _... He's marred by a scar, but he's still handsome..._ Cloud thought as he stopped just before the moonlight. _I've never smelled someone like him, either... It's calming, like lavender or chamomile... Hint of apple and butter..._ Cloud took another deep whiff and felt almost light-headed. That was definitely a smell he wanted to get used to, and the man's face was one he could see himself admiring for years, if he took care of him right. _His eyes are clear, too... He's beautiful. Selfless... Brave, or perhaps just rebellious._

Cloud could feel his heart come to life in a way he hadn't felt before while peering upon "Squall's" face; he smelled like comfort and looked like a God. The last time he felt his heart move for anything was when his mother was still alive, though his feelings for her weren't the same, of course.

His prisoner was trying to pull Squall back to him while begging the man to reconsider, but Cloud ignored that (though that did solidify his growing theory they were good people, who loved each other very much) and quirked a brow at Squall--keeping unwavering contact with those clear, steely-blue orbs.

"Are you certain... Squall?" Cloud just resisted purring the name; it sounded good on his lips.

Squall nodded slowly, still without blinking. "... If you let him go."

"Squall, don't!"

"Fine, but in exchange for him you must promise to stay. Here. _Forever_."

*****

Despite being the one to offer the deal in the first place and being fairly certain the creature would take it, he was still surprised by that declaration. The way the man spoke said he might be a little more desperate for Squall to stay than he originally let on--like Squall accidentally used his highest bargaining chip and didn't realize it. He quirked a suspicious brow and tilted his head a little as he tried to eye what he could of the man through the shadows.

"... Let me see you first. Come into the light."

The creature hesitated, but a moment later he placed a large foot with claws and fur out first. Then came pawed hands and a wolf's head, and the beast stood fully revealed; not human like Squall first suspected, but instead a creature that stood like one with the head, tail, and legs of a wolf, the wide, hunched body of a buffalo, and the horns of an ox. Squall's eyes widened without his permission and he took a step back in surprise.

*****

For half a second, Cloud thought this would be what would make Squall run and abandon his father to his fate. He waited for the inevitable, for Squall to show his true colors, but instead of fleeing or cowering away Squall took a deep breath and looked more determined than ever. He quirked a brow as Squall retook the step he had taken back in front of him, tilted his head defiantly, and said, "... You have my word."

_Brave or rebellious... Maybe a mix of both. Either way, this should be interesting._

*****

The beast swiftly moved around him and a second later the cell was unlocked. Laguna flung himself at Squall who took that chance to hug him as tight as he could; he even gave Laguna a regretful smile (and he hadn't smiled since he was a child).

"No, Squall! This is all my fault--you shouldn't have to do this!" And that was all Laguna had time to say before he was grabbed by the collar and roughly jerked away from Squall. The beast dragged the struggling man away as he begged to stay--not Squall. Squall, in turn, tried to follow, but the dungeon had a gate that shut and locked at the entrance of the stairs.

"Please, not him! I'm an idiot, like he said--I'm old! Squall doesn't deserve this--!"

Squall banged his head against the gate and stared blankly at nothing as he listened to his father's cries until they were too far away to understand. He grit his teeth and shut his eyes tight.

_... At least he's alive... If he can get home safe, we have medicine... Hopefully Uncle Kiros and Uncle Ward will be back home soon and can take care of him--force him to stay in bed..._

*****

Cloud grunted as he tossed Squall's father into a self-service carriage. It came to life, ripping apart vines that had made themselves home in its legs, the moment Laguna was locked inside its bowels. 

"What town are you from?" Cloud asked evenly.

"Please, not Squall!"

" _Your son is mine now._ What town are you from?" The question was growled this time. "Or else I'll have you tossed into a random town, and then your son will have to worry if you got home safe. Do you want that guilt on your shoulders, too?"

"... Winhill... But please, you can keep both of us--!"

Cloud pat the top of the carriage as he repeated, "Winhill," and turned to walk away.

He looked up toward the dungeon tower, which could just be seen from the entrance courtyard, and noted Squall had managed to climb up to one of the windows... watching helplessly as the carriage (spider-like in its movements) quickly carried the man away.

_... Maybe I could have... at least... let them say goodbye properly.... Shit. This is why Aerith and Tifa yell at me so often._


	4. Strange Company

_... I think I screwed up, again..._ Cloud was already regretting his rash decision to get rid of the father as quickly as possible. He didn't like strangers in his home, and when he was angry he didn't know how to think straight. In fact, it was Squall's smell that had him calming at all in the first place, or else he might have torn the brunette apart. 

_Well, it's been done. I can't take it back... So, now that I have him... What do I do with him?_ Cloud sighed as he climbed back up to the top of the dungeon tower where his new "guest" awaited. About half-way up, he paused as a familiar candelabra hopped into his way.

"Master! Listen," Axel began as he skillfully climbed into a nearby alcove by scaling between the two walls (the passage was narrow enough to allow him to hop back and forth between the walls fairly comfortably, but Axel was always athletic, too). "You do plan on letting Squall have a room, right?"

"... A room?"

"Well, of course!" Came Axel's ever-faithful side-kick as the angel clock came tupping his way from upstairs. "You can't leave him in the dungeons!"

"Right... I wasn't planning, to." Cloud shook his head and allowed himself a moment to feel utterly lost. This wasn't a mistake he could imagine fixing anytime soon, if ever. He had just ripped away his potential partner's father after virtually black-mailing him into permanent residence.

Cloud began to walk past Axel, who immediately followed.

"If he's going to be staying a while, the servants quarters won't do. You want to impress him, yeah?"

"Is he even the type to be impressed by a nice room?" Cloud asked solemnly.

"Who knows? But you should at least do your best to make his every accommodation beyond expectation!" Axel quipped as he jumped into Cloud's path again and forced the beast to pause. "You need to be nice to him, especially now. No grunting, growling, or grinding your teeth!"

Cloud huffed and stepped around Axel yet again, as if not hearing him.

"I know you regret tearing him away from his parent, your majesty."

Cloud hesitated before taking the next step, but didn't say anything out-loud.

They finally arrived to the top of the stairs. Cloud grabbed Axel about his stand and held him aloft as they entered the dungeon. Squall was sitting with his head hanging in his hands on an old crate once used for the guards to rest, back when a post was necessary for the dungeons. His elbows were digging into his thighs, but he was silent--no sobs could be heard. Just eerie quiet. The brunette looked up as the gate creaked open and the beast and his guest regarded each other silently for a long time.

"... Get up. I'll take you to your room."

Squall quirked a brow of question at him.

Cloud huffed. "Do you _want_ to stay in the tower?"

Squall shook his head and moved to stand up. Cloud turned to walk back down the stairs with the brunette, like a shadow, following quietly behind him. 

Cloud immediately felt disturbed by the silence. He was never a talkative guy himself, but the way Squall was holding himself as they marched on through the castle (sad frown, dead eyes, shoulders back, and spine straight... like a disgraced soldier come home from war) was almost worse to him than if Squall had just cried. The brunette was clearly upset, but of course he would be...

 _He's forcing his emotions down._ Cloud thought as he took another peek at Squall. He could recall a time he, himself, walked in such a manner; his mother had just died. Laguna was alive, but given the situation Squall wasn't likely to see him again all the same. _... Maybe if things work out we can... arrange something._ Cloud growled to himself. _Wait, why should I?_ Cloud huffed/growled to himself as he jerked his eyes away. _Why should I even feel bad at all? They're the invaders! They're the ones who took it upon themselves to trespass into_ my _home! They--_ Cloud took a deep breath in before he could become overwhelmed with anger again. Squall's smell... even in this bad situation, it helped. Chamomile tea, honey, butter, apples, lavender, and vanilla... and something Earthy that may have just been Squall himself. The scents grew in type and intensity the more Cloud breathed it in. He wondered for a fleeting moment what smelling the man's neck directly would produce, but he doubted he'd ever be allowed so close. _It doesn't matter anyway._

Axel started giving the "look", the one Aerith had practically patented. He started to indicated with quick gestures toward Squall and muttered, "Say something!" Cloud rolled his eyes and cleared his throat.

"... I know the circumstances are not ideal." Cloud slowed a little so he could turn to watch Squall over his shoulder without tripping over something. The brunette looked up slowly, and Cloud nearly winced at the empty-eyed stare he received. "None the less... I hope you come to enjoy living here." A tall order, he knew. "This is your home now, so... go anywhere you like. Except the West Wing."

"What's in the West--"

Cloud jerked around and snarled in Squall's face without thinking about it, " **It's of no interest to you!** "

Squall had immediately jumped back and held his arms and hands up in the defensive, in case he had to block Cloud's rage should it turn physical. However, they just stood there: Squall looked shocked, Axel looked agitated, and Cloud was breathing heavy like an angry wolf. 

*****

The blonde blinked, seemed to understand what he had just done, and turned away sharply to continue their march at a gait that almost left Squall jogging.

Normally, Squall wasn't exactly the curious type... but he was rebellious. He didn't like being told he wasn't allowed/couldn't do something, unless it was a matter he could hardly care less about. He mostly asked hoping to annoy his new "host", though he hadn't quite expected that sort of reaction.

They arrived to a forest-green door adorned with flowers carved into the frame that were just barely visible. Cloud even held the door open for Squall as they approached (the beast had to indicate with a paw/hand for Squall to go in). He was hesitant, but he supposed he had no choice. 

Squall was taking a slow look around his new quarters when Cloud spoke up again, "... Breakfast. In a few hours. It's..." He cleared his throat. "I'll send someone to get you. Rest in the mean time." Cloud stood with his hand/paw on the door. Squall could hear him shuffle around on the spot awkwardly a moment before he added, "I don't like the idea of you wandering about and doing things alone," he growled low into his throat, "so you eat with me _or you don't eat at all_!" Then he slammed the door on his way out. Squall nearly jumped, but managed to stay in place--stock still. 

After a few seconds of listening to the beast prodding away, Squall turned a glare on the door so intense he looked as if he were trying to set the door ablaze. He sighed, knowing no matter how frustrated and angry he was that acting childishly wasn't going to solve his problems; that included throwing a tantrum. He took a long, deep breath and walked to the side of his new bed (much bigger, taller, and nicer than his back in Winhill. It even had a canopy) where he pulled off his satchel and tossed it over the comforter, followed by the broken musket. 

_... Maybe I could repair it. Send it back or something... Would Cloud even allow that, though?_

Once his physical burdens were dropped, he walked around the bed and to the windows. They were huge, too, and reached from the floor to the ceiling; they were more than big enough for him to break and jump right out, and possessed no obstacles to prevent it (no bars). Squall sighed once more as he realized he wouldn't, as he had given his word. The beast knew what town they lived in and could simply hunt them down, as how would the carriage even know where to go? ... Unless the beast sent his father off to who knows where. 

The room was nearly as big as the entire first floor of his old home, the furnishings were lavish and well-kept; everything was beautiful, shiny, and clearly worth a mint... but it was still a prison. His life was over now. _All that time resisting fate, only to end up trapped anyway._

Squall looked up in time to see the first snow flakes of winter begin to fall, along with the first rays of morning.

oo00oo00oo

It had been a solid hour, at least. Squall hadn't moved from his position, not so much as a fidget of his fingers. He seemed content to remain frozen by the windows where the temperature was dropping quickly and watch the grounds be blanketed in white. A nearby fireplace suddenly lit itself, which finally jerked Squall into motion. He stared at the roaring fire in confusion and looked around the room... no one.

_... How did--_

Squall had taken a step forward to investigate the fireplace, when there was a knock at the door.

"It's Aerith, your lovely service lady~!" Sing-songed a sweet, playful voice. "Mind if I come in?"

"Knock yourself out," Squall called back. He eyed the fireplace as the door cracked open.

"I thought you might like a little tea," said Aerith over the crinkling of what sounded like a tea tray merrily making its way into the bedroom, though he couldn't hear footsteps. He looked up, just in time to see a teapot pouring itself into a small cup with a chip on its rim. "Do you like sugar or cream?" Asked the pot, and Squall jumped backward into the window in shock.

"Look, mama!" The little cup chirped. "I told you he had a scar!"

"Don't be rude, Sora," Aerith, the teapot, smiled politely up at Squall as the tea service tray came to a halt several feet away from the wide-eyed brunette. "Nothing to worry about, really!"

Squall chuckled a little as Sora, the cup, excitedly made his way off the tea service and hopped (rather cutely) all the way to Squall. The brunette sat on his haunches to greet the little cup, which he lifted delicately. Squall wasn't sure he could drink from a living cup, but he didn't want to seem rude (for once). He held Sora by his stem with his other hand under the little cup's stand as he asked, "Is, um... Is there anyone else... Other furniture alive I should be aware of?"

The flames in the fireplace puffed to three times their size for only a second in answer, the coat rack nearby the door bowed, and a face appeared upon the armoire of a woman as she began to speak, "There's me. Name's Tifa!" She hopped over until she could lean on the bed with a smile. Squall walked away from the window and gently replaced Sora onto the tea service as he passed. 

"Almost everything is alive here, dear. Even some of the walls," Aerith supplied as she drove the tea service cart behind to follow him.

Squall planted himself on the bed, as his knees felt a little unsteady. "I see... why?"

"That was a brave thing you did, you know," Tifa answered instead with a long, tired sigh. "We all think so. And don't worry, I'll yell at him later."

Aerith giggled. "As if he ever listens."

Squall frowned at them and turned away.

"Oh, I know you're sad right now," Aerith said soothingly, "and it'll be a lot of adjusting... But I think you'll like us! Your time here doesn't have to be a miserable one."

"I lost my family, my home... my dreams..." Squall fell back against the bed and stared up into the canopy.

"We're all a little nosy here," Tifa said reassuringly. "I'm sure we can convince the master to let you see your father or something, if we badger him enough."

"Careful!" Aerith warned. "Too much of that and it'll have the opposite effect."

"I would appreciate that," the brunette replied tiredly, but he was sincere. 

"Well, I've got breakfast to help with," Aerith turned the cart to the door. "You know those cooks, unless I push they'll get lazy." It didn't sound like she meant that; it was too fond and playful. "Come on, Sora!"

At the very least, Squall now felt like he had a few bright spots in this dreary castle. He wasn't the type to share much of himself, and they did seem nosy (like Tifa said), but having polite company right now (for once) didn't sound so bad. He'd rather be alone in this instance, but he meant for later. 

"Okay!" Tifa stood up straight with a creak and flung one door open before she fiddled about among many clothes hangers adorned with thick, frilly dresses. "Let's see, what can we have you wear... I'm sorry, I mostly have women's clothes, but I'm sure I could find--"

Squall sat up slowly and shook his head. "Thank you, but I'm not going."

“Why not?”

“I'm not feeling very well... I spent the whole night trying to find my father. I'd rather go to bed.”

“I understand that, but he'll be very angry.”

“Will he punish any of you if I don't go?”

Tifa hesitated. "Well, no. At worse, he'll just yell at us--"

“Then, I'll stay. Maybe tomorrow.”

oo00oo00oo

They gave Squall a full four hours to rest before breakfast. Or rather, a full three and then a fourth with Cloud impatiently pacing back and forth along the dining room. The fireplace nearly reached the whole length of the room and roared ominously behind him, which matched his mood perfectly. Aerith and Axel sat side-by-side along the mantle (Aerith with her lips thinned, as if she had a lot she wanted to say but was holding back, and Axel with his arms crossed and looking equally annoyed). They were the closest thing Cloud had to parental figures since his mother died, and they currently looked the part of a pair of disappointed parents despite their bodies. 

"What's taking so long?" Cloud asked with a grunt. "I told him to come down..." Cloud paused in his pacing to shake his head, as if that would rid him of his temper. He began to pace again, but with every other step now he began to snarl. He turned to the pair on the fireplace. "Stop **looking at me** , especially like that! Why isn't he down here?"

“Your highness, you need to learn to be patient!” Aerith declared softly as her face relaxed with a hefty sigh. “He's lost his father and his freedom in a single day... He may not feel so right. He said he was out looking for his father all night. Between the stress and worry and everything else he must be feeling, he may not be hungry."

"Maybe we should let him sleep? Try again at dinner?" Axel suggested with a lofty wave of one candle. "It's the gentlemanly thing to do, after all."

Cloud's fur began to stand on end with anger. That was clearly not the answer he wanted.

"Master," Axel decided to change the subject before the table was thrown, "Squall may be the one to break the spell! Have you considered that?"

"I did." _But in truth, I wasn't thinking about the spell when I made the deal. I had forgotten the spell when I asked him to stay, which was the first time since it was cast. I didn't think there was anything that could distract me so..._ "I'm not an idiot."

"Then you know you need to show him some consideration," Aerith piped up again. "These things take a lot of time under normal circumstances, much more so where we have found ourselves now. The better your attitude, the better your chances."

There was silence once more, beyond Cloud's own huffing and puffing, until he suddenly stopped and slumped right into the dining table. "... What was I thinking," he murmured to himself as he lifted one hand up and eyed it disdainfully. "It's no use... You've seen him. Even his scar doesn't hinder how handsome he is, and... But I..." Cloud jerked around to face the teapot and candlestick with all fingers pointed directly at his own face. " **I'm hideous!** I can't even deal with people looking at me anymore!"

Aerith and Axel both turned to look at one another before returning their attentions to Cloud, just as he began to curl in on himself.

“You must help him to see past all that.”

“I don't know how...” Cloud huffed. “I wasn't exactly winning any awards when I was still human, after all. Not on my attitude, my leadership... What am I supposed to get him to see if I wasn't much beyond my face anyway?”

"Well," Aerith slid off the mantle, hopped onto Cloud's head, and over to the dining table. "Let's start by making you more presentable!"

Axel chuckled and dropped to the floor. "You heard the lady!"

“Everyone appreciates a gentleman. I know you had lessons once.”

Cloud did have lessons, back when his mother was still alive. She had wanted him to be a “proper prince”... All her lessons, her hopes for her boy—everything flew out the window with her lost spirit. He hadn't seen the point anymore when there was no one he wanted to try for.

"I can... hardly recall them. I remember stand up straight,” he straightened his spine and stood as regally as he could in his awkward body. “Always smile, but not too wide...” His face refused to do that one, though, so he skipped it. “'Be gentle, and remember your wit is your best weapon in a social situation', she'd say.”

Aerith smiled sadly as she recalled the queen. Axel nodded.

“Don't get frustrated if he isn't receptive right away!” Aerith said firmly.

"He may not be up to eating much, considering his mood, so don't point it out! That's rude.” 

"He may also not like something on the menu, and that is totally fine.”

"He may not want to talk, so only try a little but don't be too pushy. And most of all--”

" _You must control your temper!_ ”

The doors on the other side of the room creaked open. However, the brunette man they expected to walk in did not appear, even as Roxas stumbled through. The doors closed behind him and he smiled awkwardly with as casual a whistle on his stone lips as he could produce while being stared at expectedly by three sets of curious eyes.

"Oh!" Roxas stopped and threw up his hands in surprise as if he just saw them. "H-Hello! How is everyone?"

Cloud waited for a long second before he asked, "... So?"

"S-So... What?"

"Where. Is. He?"

"Who? Oh, yes, Squall... Hm. He's..." Roxas wiped his face down and smiled nervously. "Heeeeee's...." Roxas took a deep breath, stood straight, held his head high, and declared gently, "He's not coming."

Cloud’s brow twitched, just before he shoved his way out of the dining room without a word. However, he dashed like a crazed animal down the hall and ripped part of the wooden banister with his claws as he flung himself forward past the stairs to the landing heading toward Squall’s room. The others tried to keep up, but they were in clumsy, clunky bodies—desperately crying out in protest far behind the beast.

“Prince Cloud!”

“Your grace!”

“Your highness, stop!”

Cloud came to a skidding halt before the beautiful green doors of Squall’s room. He paused only long enough to snarl and straighten himself out before banging heavily upon the entrance. 

Despite Cloud not saying a word, Squall seemed to know what was going on when he said back calmly, “I’m not hungry.”

Cloud banger again, even louder. This time Squall didn’t answer.

“You know,” Axel spoke in a gasping voice as they finally managed to catch up, “silently threatening him is... probably _not_... the best way to go...”

“You won’t win his affections that way,” Roxas wheezed.

Cloud cut his eyes to Axel and Roxas. He stared at them a moment, before taking a long, deep breath. He tapped the door this time, very gently but loud enough to be heard.

“No, thank you,” Squall replied in the same even tone as before.

Cloud howled in frustration. He rushed away again, though the other three could guess where he was heading this time and chose not to follow.

*****

Aerith turned to the clock and candle. “You two stand guard. In case Squall decides to come out. I’m sure the poor dear will get hungry soon enough... After a little more sleep.”

Axel slung an arm around Roxas’s shoulders and winked at Aerith (Roxas huffed at him, but didn’t shove him off). He jerked the clock in close and saluted the teapot. “You can count on us, ma’am.”

Aerith chuckled. “Don’t do anything untoward, now.”

Roxas sighed as Axel grinned like a shark. 

“I certainly won’t,” Roxas said with a suspicious glance at Axel.

“I’ll trust you two to be adults, then. I need to get to get back to the kitchens before the children begin to wake.” Aerith sighed. “They’re at least no longer crying for their parents...”

The boys nodded solemnly as she turned away to hop back downstairs.

*****

Cloud threw open the doors to the West Wing and stalked inside. He let out an unattractive snort as he approached a small table toward the end near a balcony covered by a tattered curtain; it was the only thing in the darkened room that hadn’t been over-turned and smashed to bits, and upon its surface was a white tablecloth, a silver mirror, and a glass container... where a deep-red rose floated inside with its head slightly drooped. Cloud snatched the mirror up.

“Show me the boy.”

The mirror, at first as placid and normal as any other, began to produce golden licks of electricity as its face moved to no longer reflect Cloud, but instead to show Squall sat upon his bed looking annoyed and tired.

“I swear, he isn't so bad once you get to know him! He was such a sweet kid once...” Tifa said with a sigh, as if she wanted desperately to believe herself.

“If I have to get to know him, I'll do it on my terms. If he doesn't like that he can throw me back in the dungeon.”

“Don't say things like going ‘back to the dungeons‘. Haven't you heard about how even if you weren't serious you can jinx yourself with bad thoughts?”

“Whatever.”

Cloud sighed. _At least he still seems... willing. To some degree._

He set the mirror back down far more carefully than how he had picked it up, with the face down again. The rose was the only thing producing light into the room beyond a few shards of morning sun through the holes in the curtains; it glowed with a golden light that seemed almost ghostly. Once the mirror was laid, Cloud sighed to himself. He looked about his room.

Cloud could see where his once lavish furnishings used to be and what they used to look like. For some reason, the furniture in his room were some of the few things that did not become possessed by a servant or a local from the town that once surrounded the castle. Thanks to their lack of sentience, he had something he could spend the first year of his curse taking his rage out on—and he did, until nothing was left unmarred except the little table where the mirror and rose sat.

Cloud clapped a hand over his eyes and grunted with regret. He leaned heavily against the wall near the balcony and stayed there, just concentrating on his breathing.

Behind him, a single petal fell delicately to the base of its container.


End file.
